Dark Horse Manga has officially announced that it will release oversized deluxe hardcover editions of the acclaimed psychological thriller manga series Oldboy, written by Garon Tsuchiya and illustrated by Nobuaki Minegishi. The first of two volumes is slated for release in January 2026, marking a significant return to print for the series in English.
Release Details for the Deluxe Editions
The Oldboy Deluxe Edition will be published in two comprehensive hardcover volumes throughout 2026.
Oldboy Deluxe Edition: Book One
Oldboy Deluxe Edition: Book One is scheduled to hit bookstores on January 6, 2026, and comic shops on January 7, 2026. This first volume will be an 848-page (7×10”) hardcover and will collect the first four volumes of the original Japanese manga series. It will retail for $69.99.
Oldboy Deluxe Edition: Book Two
Following the first volume, Oldboy Deluxe Edition: Book Two is set to be released in bookstores on March 24, 2026, and in comic shops on March 25, 2026. This volume will also be an 848-page (7×10”) hardcover, encompassing volumes five through eight of the original manga. Its price will also be $69.99.
Enhancements and Creative Team
Both deluxe volumes will feature new, noir-inspired covers crafted with metallic silver foil paper and include a ribbon bookmark. The English translation will be handled by Kumar Sivasubramanian, with lettering by Michael David Thomas and Kathryn Renta.
The Legacy of Oldboy
The Oldboy manga, serialized in Futabasha’s Manga Action magazine from 1996 to 1998, originally comprised eight tankobon volumes in Japan. Dark Horse Comics first licensed and released the manga in English between July 2006 and October 2007. The series gained significant recognition, winning the Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material in 2007.
The manga is renowned for inspiring Park Chan-wook’s critically acclaimed 2003 South Korean live-action film adaptation, as well as a 2013 American live-action adaptation directed by Spike Lee.
Synopsis of the Series
The story of Oldboy revolves around Shinichi Goto, a man who is inexplicably imprisoned for ten years without knowing his captors or their motives. His only connection to the outside world during this decade is a television set and the voices of his jailers. Suddenly, his incarceration ends without explanation, and he is released. Sedated and abandoned in a park, Goto awakens with a singular goal: revenge against those who tormented him. As he relentlessly pursues the identity of his tormentor and the reason behind his suffering, Goto uncovers clues that suggest a connection to a long-forgotten part of his adolescence, leading him to question if his torment is the result of a childhood grudge. The twisted game initiated by his nemesis becomes a central part of his quest.
